Home	Our Hope
Bible Study		May 22, 2017
In The World

Introduction

As I started this message I thought I knew the topic. It was going to be a mix of politics and religion, but it wandered around for quite a while and changed as it did. When I finally pinned it down the topic was "living in the world without being in the world."

As Christians, we know we are not supposed to be in the world. There are many verses that talk about this. I've chosen 1 John 2:15-17 to start us off.

Do not love the world, neither the things that are in it, for whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father in him. ¹⁶ For everything that is in the world: the desire of the body and the lust of the eyes and the pride of temporal life [what we would call desires of the ego], these are not from the Father but these are from the world. (1 John 2:15-16)

That's clear enough as a principle. But how exactly are we to live in the world without being in the world. How are we to be separate from it, when everyday we have to move around in it? Worse still, we live in bodies that desire the things of the world, and these bodies just won't quit desiring those things. It's a challenge for sure and many have failed to meet it.

The key I think is to understand our role in the world, and the first part of that is having the right perspective. In Hebrews 11 the author speaks about the men of great faith from history. In verses 13-16 he says this:

These died in faith, all of them, and they did not receive their promise, but they saw it from a distance and rejoiced in it and confessed that they were foreigners and nomads in the Earth. ¹⁴ But those who say these things show that they seek their city. ¹⁵ And if they had been seeking that city which they had left, they had time to return again to it. ¹⁶ Now it is apparent that they longed for better than that, which is in Heaven; because of this, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

The author is saying that these great men of faith went about in the earth as people who didn't belong, as strangers in a strange land. They did this because they knew the world was not their home, so they were looking for the fulfilment of a promise of a better place.

We need to recognize that same truth about ourselves and realize that same attitude within ourselves. We too should find the world to be a strange place. A place where the people do things that are bizarre to us, where people mistreat each other in awful ways, and live lives that are completely upside down from our own.

You may be thinking "The world isn't that bad. Sure there are some people who kill and steal but there are only a few of them. Most of the people are very nice."

The only reason you would say that is because you aren't looking at the world through God's eyes. Through human eyes we tend to view things as the world does. Murder is very bad, we all agree to that, adultery is sort of bad, stealing is bad, lying is sort of bad, and coveting is, well, I dunno. Most people don't know what it means to covet. That's the way the world sees the last 5 of the Ten Commandments.

But God sees them differently. We get some understanding of God's view from what Jesus says in Matthew 5:21-22

You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "Do not murder, and whoever murders is condemned to judgment." ²² But I am saying to you, that everyone who will be angry against his brother without cause is condemned before the judge, and everyone who will say to his brother, 'I spit on you', is condemned before the assembly, and whoever will say 'You fool' is condemned to the Gehenna of fire. (Matthew 5:21-22)

Jesus says that the commandment on murder includes more than the act of murder. It includes causeless hatred, despising, and arrogance. This kind of violation of the commandment does not require bodily injury, or even words. It can be done entirely within the heart. Who on this planet is not guilty of that?

Jesus also makes the same point with the adultery commandment a few verses later in Matthew 5:27-28.

You have heard that it was spoken, "You shall not commit adultery." ²⁸ But I am saying to you, everyone who looks at a woman so as to lust for her, immediately commits adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)

Notice where the adultery occurs - "in his heart."

So now we are starting to see how evil the world is through God's eyes. Yet, so far we've only talked about the last 5 commandments. When you consider the idolatry of people and self that goes on, the diminishing of God, the lying about what God has done or that he even exists, the dishonoring of the people whom God has put in authority over us, then you see how bad the world is, in God's eyes.

Honestly, we aren't that far from what God said prior to the flood.

[…] that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5)

Now, if the world is so evil, why do we have anything to do with it at all? Why don't we just setup Christian towns, grow our own food, and live separate from the world?

That has certainly been tried. There are lots of reasons not to do that though. One is that the evil desires that the world chases after are the same desires in our bodies that we wrestle against. We are not so perfect that we can create and maintain a perfect society.

But the more important reason is that we have been given a charge to go into the world. Jesus speaks of this in many places.

Go to the entire world and preach my Good News in all creation. (Mark 16:15)

Therefore go disciple all the nations and baptize them in the name of the father and the son and the Spirit of Holiness. (Matthew 28:19)

Just as you have sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (John 17:18)

Therefore we live in the world because we are the representatives of God to the world. That is our role in the world.

We are ambassadors therefore in the place of the Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Paul says the same about himself in Ephesians 6:19-20.

[Pray] also for me, that the word may be given to me by opening my mouth, that publicly I may preach the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ that of which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may speak it with boldness as it is necessary for me to speak it. (Ephesians 6:19-20)

Whether we like it or not, we are ambassadors, if not in word then by actions and choices.

If therefore we are ambassadors, it is necessary for us to do what ambassadors do, to present the truth of the leader, in our case that's God. It is not for us to present some other ideas. If an ambassador misrepresents the one he is to represent, he will soon be unemployed. Unfortunately some who call themselves Christians represent positions that are not from God. Some of these ambassadors represent the world while claiming to represent God.

We have no other business in the world other than to be ambassadors, to be lights in a dark world, to find those who are lost and bring them to the light, and to disciple them to become ambassadors. If we involve ourselves in the world in other ways or for other purposes we risk becoming the world

But beware in your souls that your hearts do not grow cold with gluttony and with drunkenness and with the cares of the world. (Luke 21:34)

For pure and holy ministry before God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their affliction, and for a man to keep his soul without defilement from the world. (James 1:27)

As an ambassador, we have been given position papers that describe God's point of view on every topic we need to represent. They are all bound together in a book called the Bible.

It seems, though, that some of the ambassadors need to review the position papers more. Some of them are representing viewpoints that are not from God. So next we'll look through some of those position papers that haven't seen the light of day in a while.

Position Paper: Origin of the Universe and Mankind

Oh, this has become a problem for many ambassadors. God's position is that he created the universe in 6 literal days and rested on the 7^th day. The position paper is written in such a way as to be absolutely clear on that. The Hebrew language scholars say no other understanding is possible. It's only unclear to those who don't want to hear it.

There was no thousands, millions, or billions of years involved in creation. You say you believe in God and that he is almighty. He said he did it in 6 days. If you disagree, are you saying he isn't able to do it or are you saying he lied. Either way you aren't much of an ambassador

Also, during those 6 days God created all life including man. That's "created", not "evolved."

I know the world has lots of smart people who have created theories like Big Bang and Evolution. They don't know; they weren't there, but God was. If you are a representative of God you have no choice but to represent his position.

Position Paper: Skin Color and Your Bodies

You know we are all the same race, right? By definition we are, and the proof of that is that people with different skin colors can have fully functional children. If skin colors were different races, mixed couples could not have children. There is only one race of man, the human race.

God's position on skin color is this: he couldn't care less. In all of the Bible God is never concerned about any person's skin color. I can't even think of a case where it is mentioned. The big truth is that he isn't concerned about your whole body, other than you need it to live. The ultimate destiny of your body is most likely to become worm food. After that, God permitting, your new color will be the color called glorious.

Skin color is a big problem in America right now. The Christian has no business being on any side of that fight. If you think you have been mistreated because of your skin color, God's position is "forgive". If you are offended that other people with your skin color have been mistreated, God's position is "leave vengeance to God".

If you are afraid that you won't be able to succeed in the world because of your skin color, you have lost your purpose. You are not in the world to succeed. You are in the world to bring light to the world, not to show them how to climb the ladder of success.

If you are afraid that you might be hurt or killed because of your skin color, you need to ask yourself if you really believe in God. Nothing happens in God's world that God doesn't allow. Your function is to do what he says. Evil people need other people to be their targets. If that turns out to be you, you should praise God as the apostles did.

I'll say it again. A Christian has no business in the skin color fight other than to tell them there is a better way, a way of love that brings peace. As a Christian you are a new creature, the old has passed away. There is neither Jew nor Gentile nor black nor white. There is just one new man. Why would you care about your skin color or someone else's any more than God does?

Position Paper: Respecting Those God has Placed in Authority Over You

The Bible is very clear that God raises up those he wants in authority and takes down others. We might think that, in a democracy, we are the ones who choose our leaders, but that's wrong. God arranges everything so the people choose the person God wants. That doesn't mean the person chosen is a Godly person. Remember God chose king Saul, the first failure king of Israel.

The Bible is also very clear that we are to respect those whom God has placed in authority - and respecting means obeying.

The world respects only those people it wants to respect. Disrespect is everywhere. Therefore they worship themselves as being greater than the authority. Let me say that again in a different way. If you do what you want instead of what the authority wants, then you are declaring yourself to be a greater authority than the authority God has raised up.

This respect applies in many cases Christians don't recognize. For example, sometimes your employer may ask you to do something that doesn't make sense to you. If the circumstances allow you to raise your concerns, do so, but remember, you must respect him and that means doing as instructed.

As another example, if you intentionally break the speed limit when driving you have disrespected the authority who made those laws.

Of course there is a limit to this. God's laws overrule man's laws.

Summary

It's necessary that we live in the world; there is no alternative. It's also necessary that we not be in the world. We must keep ourselves from being caught up in the ways of the world. This calls for vigilance, being watchful.

The basis for that watchfulness is understanding how evil the world is in God's eyes and we've discussed that. If we understand how evil it is in God's eyes, we will be less likely to fall into it. Also, that understanding should result in us feeling like strangers in a strange land.

We also looked at our role in the world - that of an ambassador for God. Our purpose in the world is not to hang with the world or to succeed according to the world's standards. Our purpose is to bring people out of the world.

We also looked at some of the areas where Christians are frequently failing to act as ambassadors and instead are representing the ideas of the world

The life of a Christian is not an easy life - no one said it would be. We strive to live a better life now and, as Hebrews 11 says, we look toward a promise of a better city. I'll close with verses from Titus 2:11-12

For the all saving grace of God has been revealed to all men; ¹² and it leads us to reject wickedness and the lusts of the world and to live in this world in purity, in righteousness, and in the worship of God. (Titus 2:11-12)

Please consider your role as ambassadors and strive to represent God in every aspect of your life.

Do not love the world, neither the things that are in it, for whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father in him. ¹⁶ For everything that is in the world: the desire of the body and the lust of the eyes and the pride of temporal life, these are not from the Father but these are from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing and its lust, but he who does the will of God continues for eternity. (1 John 2:15-17)

But beware in your souls that your hearts do not grow cold with gluttony and with drunkenness and with the cares of the world. (Luke 21:34)

Just as you have sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (John 17:18)

For the all saving grace of God has been revealed to all men; ¹² and it leads us to reject wickedness and the lusts of the world and to live in this world in purity, in righteousness, and in the worship of God. (Titus 2:11-12)

Others were stoned; others were sawn in half; others died by the edge of the sword; others traveled wearing skins of sheep and of goats, and were needy, afflicted and beaten; ³⁸ persons of whom the world was not worthy; and they were as wanderers in desert places and in mountains and in caves and caverns of The Earth. (Hebrews 11:37-38)

For pure and holy ministry before God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their affliction, and for a man to keep his soul without defilement from the world. (James 1:27)